1. Some people are just not “born to run”.
Yes, I said it, not everyone should be running. If you cannot walk painfree you simply shouldn’t be running. If you CHOOSE to run don’t expect it to be an incredibly enjoyable experience.
2. You shouldn’t get in shape by running, you should get IN shape TO run.
From an injury prevention standpoint I make my patients “earn the right to run”. When you don’t have the balance, strength,mobility or stamina to tolerate running, trying to get in shape by performing an activity considerably out of your league will only get you hurt.
3. It’s usually you, NOT the shoe.
I told a patient once that if you can only run in a certain shoe, on a particular surface, in perfect weather conditions, and just the right socks…then you probably shouldn’t be running. For the most part our bodies are pretty good at adapting to change. However, if you struggle to find the right running shoe it is probably more about what is wrong with your anatomy/structure/mechanics than the shoe. Look to find the cause of the problem instead of swapping out all the band-aid fixes.
4. You need to strength train, or at the very least cross-train.
I have had countless runners tell me that they don’t lift legs because “well, you know, I run!” Back to point number 2,you need to earn the right to run. If you can’t perform a single-leg squat several times with excellent technique but you are running several miles per week, expect to breakdown, bottom line.
5. Most running related injuries are preventable.
Greater than 95% of running injures are overuse injuries. Aside from injuries related to falls or accidents most diagnosis are due to repetitive use…ie=abuse. This means that doing the same thing over and over again, poorly caused an otherwise healthy tissue to stop working properly. This could have been prevented, or at the very least rehabbed! Get to the root of the problem and you may be able to return to the sport you enjoy without further damage.
